Star Wars Inspirations in Stargate SG-1

References, nods, and inspired moments in the classic SciFi show

My second favorite fandom is Stargate. I was eight when the film came out and just had to see it in theaters purely because it had “Star” in its title. While I didn’t fully understand the movie until years later, I was intrigued and it fostered a lifetime love of Egyptian mythology. When I came across the show Stargate: SG-1 at fourteen, I was excited and once again intrigued by it. Unfortunately, I saw it in syndication and it wasn’t on at a good time for me to watch it. Three years later, I came across it again when I started getting the SciFi channel. Suffice it to say I quickly became hooked. Over the years, I noticed several moments that reminded me of Star Wars, or at least seemed to pay homage it.

The “I Love You” “I Know” Moment

Where Sam Carter attempts to confess her feelings for her commanding officer Jack O’Neill.

In season seven’s “Lost City” two parter, Colonel Jack O’Neill once again has the library of the Ancients downloading into his brain, which means the knowledge is slowly taking over his brain. He starts doing things he can’t explain and speaking in Ancient. It’s only a matter of time before he ceases to be “Jack”. In an attempt to confess her feelings for him, Major Sam Carter finds him in the engine room of their ship. But before she can fully get the words out, he stops her saying “I know”.

At the end of the episode, she is forced to watch as he is frozen in a stasis chamber before the information completely rewrites his brain. The moment immediately reminded me of Leia watching Han be frozen in carbonite. The same look of heartbreak was on her face as she is wondering if she would be able to find a way to save him.

The Furlings

The Furlings are a race of aliens the Asgard said were once part of the four great races of the galaxy. However, we never actually get to meet them. In the hilarious spoof of a 200th episode, aptly named “200”, the show plays up that joke by having the team tell a story that didn’t actually happen, wherein they finally did meet the Furlings. In this story, when they meet them, they are a race of technologically advanced Koala bears. Immediately, I couldn’t help but think of Ewoks. It was an unmistakable reference in an episode devoted to referencing everything from The Wizard of Oz to Star Trek and even Team America. While the segment was brief, Stargate fans generally agree that it was an Ewok reference, only Ewoks are cuter.

Teal’c is a Star Wars fan

In the third episode of season five, Col. O’Neill and Teal’c, and alien, show up at Maj. Carter’s house in an effort to get her to “live a little” and invite her to watch Star Wars with them. O’Neill admits to never having seen it, but Teal’c reveals he’s seen it around eight or nine times. Considering Teal’c has only been of Earth at this point for four years, it seems he quickly became a fan. This is the first of two moments were Teal’c reveals his love of Star Wars.

The “Anakin Skywalker” moment

In season nine’s nineteenth episode, the team’s ally Vala Mal Doran, who had been previously and accidentally sent to their enemy’s, the Ori, home galaxy finally makes contact with Earth. She reveals the Ori’s invasion plans for our galaxy and that she has mysteriously found herself pregnant “without doing the deed” as she puts it. When she asks if any of them have ever heard of that happening, Teal’c deadpans with “Anakin Skywalker” earning him looks from the rest of SG-1. Her response “And how did that work out?”

Vala’s daughter, later named Adria, indeed didn’t turn out much better than Anakin. After rapidly aging to an adult, she carries out the Ori’s plans to invade and conquer our galaxy as their living emissary, The Orici. She exhibits multiple powers over the final season of the show, all of which are much more “Dark Side” than “Light Side”.